Volume One: In a Turbulent World, Is There a Path for Humanity Chapter 22: Yongping I

New author, new book—it’s not easy these days. I hope everyone will offer their support!

The soldiers were ordered to drag He Guangxiu away. Monk Li wandered, lost and helpless, while Guan Shirong stood silent and withdrawn. Yellow Mule paced back and forth, Luo Guoqi bowed his head in contemplation. Lady Wang’s willow brows furrowed, her charming face clouded with worry as she asked, “Generals, having heard this fellow’s words, what plans do you have?”

Monk Li stammered, rubbing his bald head, and after a long pause managed to squeeze out a sentence: “Perhaps this eunuch is just spouting nonsense. He’s a lowly man, his words can’t be trusted. My humble opinion is, we stick to the plan and head to Shangdu. Even if the Northern Kings truly march south at the Dog Emperor’s command, do we not have hundreds of thousands of troops? Are we really afraid?”

Guan Shirong sneered, while Luo Guoqi hesitated before speaking, “Not entirely. The people north of the mountains are all Mongols, wild and untamed, not like the Central Plains Mongols. If they truly come south, they’ll be formidable opponents.”

Monk Li grew agitated, frustrated by Luo’s constant opposition, and demanded angrily, “Then what do you suggest?”

“My opinion is that we’d be better off heading east for now. Liaoyang is under our control. If we can reach Liaoyang, things will be much safer,” Luo Guoqi said, his gaze flickering as he noticed Lady Wang listening intently. He continued, “Do not worry, my lady. From Liaoyang to the coast, most counties are in our hands. If you wish to see Marshal Wang, we can take to the sea for Shandong. Marshal Wang is a favorite of Mao Pingzhang in Shandong; Mao Pingzhang will surely look after you. Avoiding the Mongol tide, you’ll see Marshal Wang whenever you please.”

Deng She suddenly understood—this was Luo Guoqi’s true aim. Luo, being from Shandong and long away from home, saw the current situation in Shandong as far better than in Liaodong, so he was intent on escorting Lady Wang back to Shandong.

This, Deng realized, could be exploited.

Lady Wang had never considered Luo Guoqi’s suggestion. She was momentarily stunned, then asked Deng She, “Young Deng, what do you think?” Of all those she’d dealt with recently, Deng had left her with an impression of thoughtfulness, loyalty, steadiness, and wit; so, in this moment of hesitation, among the group, she couldn’t help but turn first to the youngest—Deng She.

Deng wasn’t willing to reveal his own thoughts, so he turned to Yellow Mule and Guan Shirong, “Captain Huang, Captain Guan, what do you think?”

It was truly difficult to decide. Yellow Mule believed his first concern should be Guan Duo’s safety, yet a nagging thought kept surfacing: If they returned to Shangdu and were truly besieged by the Northern Mongol cavalry, what were their chances? He couldn’t tell, nor did he want to say they shouldn’t return to Shangdu, so he chose silence.

Silence meant acquiescence, but also abstention.

Guan Shirong had no other concerns; his only wish was to protect his clan, so naturally the safer the place, the better. Where was safer? No need to think! He spoke without hesitation, “I believe eastward is best.”

Two in favor, one abstained. Monk Li, sensing the shift in opinion, hurriedly looked to Lady Wang. Her expression wavered slightly, and he quickly declared before Deng She could speak, “Upon careful consideration, Luo’s suggestion does make sense. My lady, Shandong would do as well. The distance is not much different from Shangdu.”

Lady Wang insisted on Deng She’s opinion, “Young Deng, what do you say?”

At last, Deng She spoke, his tone somewhat exaggerated, “The Northern Kings command not just a million, but countless warriors. In that harsh, icy land, the people are fierce fighters. Should they march south, their hooves will thunder like a tide. Shangdu is only three or four hundred miles from the north—a single stride away. Moreover, our forces are scattered across Liaoyang and inner cities. Before departing for Fengzhou, Commander Guan destroyed the city walls and burned the palaces. In my opinion, Shangdu will be hard to defend.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone, then continued, “Captain Luo’s plan is sound and thorough. But in my view, before sending my lady to Shandong, we should first reach Yongping. The eunuch just mentioned that Yongping is wealthy, its defenses lax, and the strategy of inside-out cooperation is quite feasible. From there, we unite with Captains Wen and Chen, gather our troops, move swiftly with light cavalry, and shake off the Mongol scouts. In four or five days, we can reach Yongping. If we truly find support from Goryeo, our cavalry can storm the city. One decisive blow, and mountains of weapons and one hundred thousand bushels of grain will be ours. At that moment, my lady, do you recall the tale of King Li of Xuzhou welcoming a hundred thousand in a single day?”

To seize Yongping with a few hundred defeated soldiers and some Koreans—everyone was shocked by his audacity. Luo Guoqi murmured, “This, this is far too risky.”

“Bold men reap great rewards,” Deng She said calmly. “Even if we fail to take the city, we are all cavalry. We can immediately retreat. From Yongping, it’s merely thirty miles to the coast. We can still take to the sea for Shandong.” He emphasized, “My lady, one does not catch tiger cubs without entering the den. Fleeing to Shandong with a defeated army, or marching to Shangdu with a mighty host—all depends on your decision.”

He cleverly shifted the debate from choosing between Shandong or Shangdu, to choosing between Shandong or seizing Yongping.

Everyone fell silent, considering whether his plan was feasible. Monk Li stared, dumbfounded, his gaze toward Deng She becoming strangely intense. Lady Wang was captivated by the vision of entering Shangdu with a hundred thousand troops; she cared little for the actual attack on Yongping, but the prospect of a triumphant entry was enchanting.

If this vision could be realized, she was certain she would become the object of admiration and discussion among all the wives and concubines of Shangdu’s dignitaries. She hadn’t felt this way in a long time—her heart was racing. Moreover, Deng She was right: even if Yongping couldn’t be taken, they could reach the coast within half a day. At most, a few soldiers would die in the assault—of no consequence to her.

She could almost hear the cheers of thousands as she entered Shangdu. Her mind was made up. She said, “Young Deng, you are a general of tiger’s courage. I am willing to entrust my two hundred personal guards to your command.”

For the first time, Monk Li felt no jealousy or dissatisfaction at Deng She winning Lady Wang’s favor; this plan gave Yellow Mule a perfect excuse not to return to Shangdu, so he fully supported it. The ever indifferent Guan Shirong felt his old martial spirit stirring anew, inspired by Deng She’s bold plan, and repeatedly echoed Deng’s words, “Bold men reap great rewards.”

Luo Guoqi, distracted and absent-minded, kept muttering, “This must be carefully planned, carefully planned. How do we shake off the Mongols? How do we coordinate inside? How do we take them by surprise?”

Once opinions were unified, everything became easier.

Deng She ordered the soldiers to bring back He Guangxiu and questioned him closely about Yongping’s situation. Monk Li volunteered to fetch supplies, directing soldiers to distribute the grain stored by the Green Army. Lady Wang abandoned her search for wagons. Yellow Mule gathered the poisoned arrows shot by the Green Army for future use. Guan Shirong took charge of burying Captain Zheng and the soldiers killed by poisoned arrows.

At last, the troops assembled, and together they said farewell at the graves of Captain Zheng and his men before setting out east. They galloped swiftly, leaving a detachment behind to erase traces along the route. At dawn the next day, Deng She found the marker Wen Huaguo had left him—a bandit’s secret sign.

Of course, Deng She would never let Lady Wang and the others know about these signs.

Avoiding villages, they found a secluded spot and rested for two hours, then pressed on. Hoof prints crisscrossed the road, likely left by Wen Huaguo’s men or Mongol scouts.

At noon, they spotted Lady Wang’s carriage abandoned by the roadside. Deng She inspected it personally; inside lay Captain Xu, dead and cold, headless—likely taken by the Yuan army. Abandoning Captain Xu had been Deng She and Chen Hu’s plan: it would speed their retreat and, hopefully, persuade the Yuan army to cease pursuit upon capturing this important figure.

Deng She grew anxious. The hoof prints on the road were now denser than before.

After two days and nights of pursuit, the tracks went from dense to sparse, leaving everyone perplexed. If the Yuan army had wiped out Wen Huaguo’s unit, there should be no tracks ahead; yet there were. Maybe the Yuan troops had withdrawn, but it was hard to believe Wen Huaguo’s three hundred had beaten back three thousand.

On the third night, the scouts returned with news—they had found Wen Huaguo’s force.